Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Celebrate the people and places behind the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, from past winners and regional contacts to the farms and sponsors shaping your region.

Key dates.

Entries Open

1 July 2025

Entries Close

31 October 2025

Finalists announced

2 February 2026

Awards Event

25 March 2026

2026 Open Day

21 April 2027

Current and past BFEA winners.

2025 Auckland Regional Supreme Winner

Peter and Michelle Pan 

Peter and Michelle Pan 

Healthy and Fresh
  • Auckland Regional Supreme Winner 2025
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil and Nutrient Management Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2025 Award Recipients

Chris and Greta Harris

Chritas Wood 
  • Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement Award
Read their story

Deb Crump

ASB MAGS Farm
  • NZFET Climate Recognition Award
Read their story

James and Stephanie Kellow

Lighthouse Station Farm
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

Troy and Karin Everson

Hermanus 
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

2024 Auckland Regional Supreme Winner

Peter Rensen

Peter Rensen

Utopia Nurseries
  • Auckland Regional Supreme Winner 2024
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2024 Award Recipients

Kathy and Craig Maxwell

Paparimu Valley Farm
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
Read their story

Matt Wech and Ana Sevilla

Matt Wech Family Trust
  • Add Award…NZFET Biodiversity Award
  • Add Award…Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement Award
Read their story

Sam Waugh

Donald’s Farm
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
Read their story

2023 Auckland Regional Supreme Winner

Brett & Fenella Wheeler

Brett & Fenella Wheeler

BFG Kiwi Ltd
  • Auckland Regional Supreme Winner 2023
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2023 Award Recipients

Allan Fong & the Fresh Grower family

The Fresh Grower
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

Mark and Emilie Muir, George Flavell and Jenny Hinton

MG Muir Ltd
  • Auckland BFEA Heritage Protection Award
Read their story

Sue Meszaros and Karyn Maddren

Streamland Suffolks
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
  • Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement Award
Read their story

2022 Auckland Regional Supreme Winner

Rick & Shirley-Ann Mannering

Rick & Shirley-Ann Mannering

Waytemore Farms
  • Auckland Regional Supreme Winners 2022
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • Massey University Innovation Award
  • Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement Award
Read their story

2022 Award Recipients

Atiu Creek Regional Park

Auckland Council
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
Read their story

Rob & Rachel Cashmore

Cashmore Farms
  • Cashmore Farms
Read their story

Shane & Jenny Hood and Kevin & Gill Adshead

Mataia Farm & Manaia Properties
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Norwood Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

2020 Auckland Regional Supreme Winner

Mathew & Sarah Bolton

Mathew & Sarah Bolton

Oete Goat Farm
  • Auckland Regional Supreme Winner 2020
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • Massey University Innovation Award
  • Norwood Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

2020 Award Recipients

Alan & Khim Hellyer

Mahoenui
  • Auckland BFEA Farm Stewardship Award
Read their story

Garry Hewson, Laura Wallis & Dene Noonan

Te Rau Puriri
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Synlait Climate Stewardship Award
  • Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement Award
Read their story

Entries are now open for the 2026 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Enter now

Celebrating stewardship across Auckland.

Mathew & Sarah Bolton

View their story
Our regional partner

Auckland Council

Backing the Awards locally to connect urban and rural communities for better land stewardship.

Auckland councillor, Penny Webster, former president of Auckland Federated Farmers, says bringing the Ballance Farm Environment Awards to Auckland will be great for the region.

“I think it’s very important that Auckland gets involved in a competition like this.  Auckland’s large rural constituency on both the northern and southern sides of the city is a very important part of the regional economy.  Anything we can do to help farmers improve their environmental sustainability has to be good for the region.

The competition is also a good way for farmers to show urban Auckland that they take their environmental responsibilities very seriously.”

Auckland region’s northern boundary spans from South Head across to just south of Mangawhai, stretching out to Great Barrier Island.  Its southern boundary encompasses Waiuku, Pukekohe and reaches across to the Firth of Thames.

Penny Webster – Councillor, Auckland Council

View website

Auckland Regional Awards.

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award

This Award focuses on the management of soil and nutrients.

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award

This Award focuses on the management of soil and nutrients. A strong understanding of nutrients and nutrient budgeting is demonstrated. The impacts of nutrients and management practices on both soil fertility as well as surface and ground water are understood and well managed.

Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award

This Award is focused on the all-important people side of the farming and growing business.

Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award

This Award is focused on the all-important people side of the farming and growing business. It recognises the importance of staff management, succession, community involvement, health and safety and other practices associated with people management and wellbeing.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award

This Award recognises the livestock farmer who demonstrates a commitment to long-term land and animal stewardship.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award

This Award recognises the livestock farmer who demonstrates a commitment to long-term land and animal stewardship. Considerations are made around the sustainable use of land, labour and capital resources. Livestock will be well cared for, with stock class and type managed appropriately to the land contour and soil type.

DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award

This Award recognises dairy farmers who demonstrate a strong commitment to managing, protecting and enhancing their environment.

DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award

This Award recognises dairy farmers who demonstrate a strong commitment to managing, protecting and enhancing their environment. The award focuses on positive, long term, environmentally sustainable on-farm actions. Entrants will demonstrate high standards of environmental care and sustainable use of the land, stock, labour and capital resources.

Hill Labs Agri-Science Award

This Award recognises excellence in the use of science and monitoring to optimise productivity and minimise environmental impacts.

Hill Labs Agri-Science Award

This Award recognises excellence in the use of science and monitoring to optimise productivity and minimise environmental impacts. A good understanding of soil, water, plant and crop protection should be demonstrated, with supporting measurement and monitoring in evidence.

Ministry for the Environment Biodiversity Award

This award recognises the biological diversity of the farming and growing business.

Ministry for the Environment Biodiversity Award

This award recognises the biological diversity of the farming and growing business. It acknowledges the mahi of both the present and past guardians (Kaitiaki) of the land that have created an environment that encourages and allows biodiversity to thrive.

Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award

This Award recognises initiatives taken to protect and enhance water quality and biodiversity values within the water that flows through and from the property.

Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award

This Award recognises initiatives taken to protect and enhance water quality and biodiversity values within the water that flows through and from the property. This includes initiatives limiting pollutant inputs into the water through good land management practices. For example, soil conservation, wetland protection and enhancement as well as implementing riparian management practices.

Norwood Farming Efficiency Award

This Award recognises the farmer or grower who is actively focused on resource use efficiency.

Norwood Farming Efficiency Award

This Award recognises the farmer or grower who is actively focused on resource use efficiency. It takes into account those who may be focusing on different types of efficiency (e.g. equipment efficiency, fuel efficiency), those using precision agriculture and/or those who are actively making data driven decisions to determine how much resource to use.

Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award

This Award recognises the approach that farmers and growers take to accomplish the important management practices of operating a successful farm and growing business.

Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award

This Award recognises the approach that farmers and growers take to accomplish the important management practices of operating a successful farm and growing business. This includes the development and use of a business plan, benchmarking and succession planning. It may also involve the use of industry professionals and networks to support the sustainability of the business.

Regional coordinator.

Lisa Kendall
027 501 8645
auckland@bfea.org.nz